Immortal Version
by infractus monumentum
Summary: SasuSaku Home is where the heart beats.


Immortal Version

Illicit Memory

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The crisp white of his surroundings.

The rise and fall of the line on his heart monitor – working in tandem to the one showing the boy next to him's heart beat.

The tired emerald eyes that constantly scanned his vitals.

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There were machines breathing for him.

There were machines using the bathroom for him.

There were even machines eating for him.

Which meant that, no matter _what_ the heart monitor put out, he was dead.

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"Sakura-san, do you know when he will wake up?" She wasn't referring to _him_… She was referring to the co-inhabitant of his room. Tousled blonde hair, whisker marks, and the same hookups he was graced with.

"I don't know, Hinata…" Her voice sounded so… heartbroken. "I really don't. He's in the same boat Sasuke's in right now."

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"Sasuke, I know you can't hear me… But I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have let him go after you. I just kept thinking 'what if?', you know? I didn't know Itachi was going to be there, I didn't know that everything would end like this…. I had hoped that maybe you'd want to come back home eventually… but you didn't, did you?"

She was wrong, oh, so wrong.

"I just thought that you'd give up the revenge thing, and… I don't know. I missed you. I know he missed you too, but I wouldn't ever choose losing him over having you back, because he's all I have left since you were gone. He's my best friend, and I was still in love with you, and I still **am** in love with you, but since you don't want to be back, I think I should just let go."

_Sakura, stop talking – I can hear you, I __**can**__, I swear, and if I'm ever able to answer you, I will tell you that you're wrong… I wanted to come home, I just didn't want to come home a failure._

"And here I am, still talking to you even though you're in a coma, and so is Naruto. I just wish that it had all turned out okay. I wish I hadn't let him go after you. Because I miss you, but I'm going to _die_ if he dies. I can lose you again, because I never really had you, but he… he doesn't deserve this. He didn't deserve to get caught in the middle of your revenge."

_I know, I know, and I'm sorry too! I'm sorry, and I just want to be able to tell you, damnit,_

"Sakura…"

"Naruto!" She was gone from his side, and instead, she ran to his. "Naruto, you're awake! Oh my god, Hinata is going to be so happy!"

"Sakura, what about teme? Is he…?"

"He's still out, Naruto. I don't know who did it, but it was you or Itachi…"

"Me. He had already killed Itachi. But he… He didn't know it was me."

_Yes, I did, Naruto. I knew it was you. That's why you're not dead. But I wasn't happy that Itachi was gone – I still didn't feel fulfilled._

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His heart monitor raced.

"Oh, shi-!" sakura ran back to his side, chakra at her fingertips.

_Sakura, I just want to wake up! I want you to be able to know!_

"Is that…?"

"Yes, Naruto, his heart's going crazy!"

Another nurse rushed into the room. "Haruno-san?!"

"I've got, Ayato! But go get Tsunade-shishou and tell her that Naruto's awake, and Sasuke's… Sasuke's…!"

"Yes!" The girl rushed out of the room.

"Sasuke, don't you dare have a heart attack and die on me! I'll let you leave if you wake up, I swear I will, just _be alive_!"

_I don't want to leave, Sakura. I won't leave you, ever again._

"He came back no his own, Sakura… when he woke up and realized it was me, he said he was sorry! He wanted to come home!"

_Home, is that where I am? Do they both still think of me as a friend? Am I allowed here? Is this home?!_

"SASUKE, WAKE UP, DAMNIT! YOU CAN'T FUCKING DIE ON ME!" She was crying now. How many times had she cried over him?

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"Sa…ku…ra."

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"SASUKE!" They both were yelling, now. Both were crying. Tears shed over a traitor, a liar… Fading.

_Wake up, little brother. You've still got a purpose._

Itachi?

He could see his older brother now. He stood before him, smiling as he so often had before (_the slaughter_) had happened. It was the immortal version of his brother he kept in his head. A pre-Akatsuki, pre-death version Sasuke couldn't bear to lose. _You finished your mission. You won. Now reap the rewards._

"Nii-chan!" Sasuke opened his eyes, the strangled cry leaving his lips.

The images of his two best friends (_no, his best friend and the __**girl he loved**_) looking down at him, the tracks of falling tears on their cheeks.

"Sa…Sasuke?!" Sakura's eyes were wide, bloodshot.

A weak smile was given to her.

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A little bit fast, but… he _had_ just died and come back to life, no?

_Home._

A/N: horrible ending? Haha. I like this one a lot more than the others, I think. Some parts were sorta stupid, but otherwise, I think this is so far one of my favorites.

Now, if those damn oneshot plot bunnies could stop attacking me when I'm supposed to be doing my Photoshop homework, it'd be lovely.

Another one's coming, though. Nifty.


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